To Arizona and Voyager RV Resort. We’ve been here since December 1st of 2022. At first I was befuddled about being anywhere. But as things got better, it became our home away from home. We got involved in some of the 100s of activities they have going on and met incredible people from all over.

Dave is sitting at one of the Villas you can rent, the other pics are of the dog run and dog park.

The park has 16 pickle ball courts, an area for 12 shuffle boards Dave is in one of the 3 pools they have along with 2 hot tubs and a men’s and ladies sauna.

They also have different shops  with different creative things to do like, wood working , quilting, sewing, glass fusion,  ceramics, silversmith, Lapidary and stain glass.

Dave chose this class and he said “NO, NO,NO, I did not take a lap dance class. I took a Lapidary Class. What is that you ask, it is defined as such. Lapidary (from the Latin lapidarius) is the practice of shaping stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items such as cabochons, engraved gems (including cameos), and faceted designs. Below are two of his creations.

I made the two stain glass pieces on top.

I took stain glass never realizing how much it involved, especially cutting all the pieces of glass out with a small tool and getting all the pieces to fit back together. One of the talented people here did the one below. Learning all the hard work it entails I really appreciate the art. I plan on doing bigger and better stain glass projects next time we’re here.

Dave’s favorite cactus is called the Ocotilloor/ Flaming sword.  They  can reach heights of up to 20 feet. they appear brownish off season but when Spring comes they turn green and flower.

The Best thing in the park is Fat Willy’s. Dave & I came here often and the food was always good!

But the best time was when my friends got together every Friday night for Ladies happy hour. To my right is Bert, next to her is Saleen and her son Robert who was visiting from Alaska, so we let him join us. Marsha and Sharon and me. Missing from the group is Kathy. We had a lot of fun and I will definitely miss going. Till we meet again ladies. 😊

Voyager has so many different things going on all the time. Between all the sporting activities going on, the clubs, groups, entertainment, etc. you don’t have to be board, only if you want to. If your in the area give it a try.

We are truly going to miss Arizona and the West but we will return. The desert is beautiful with all it’s different flowering cactus and wildflowers.

Things you might not know about Arizona: The Grand Canyon National Park is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and the only one located within the United States.

The world’s first McDonald’s drive-thru is located in Sierra Vista, AZ.

Arizona’s Sonoran Desert is the only place on earth where the iconic saguaro cactus grows. Cutting down a saguaro cactus is illegal. If you cut down an endangered cactus, you can face up to 25 years in prison.

Tequila was invented here! It’s made from the Weber blue agave plant, which grows in Arizona & Mexico.

If your driving through Arizona, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and maybe a few other  states, keep a look out for this sign:

I’ve been told that “An open-range state means that cattle are typically free to roam at large” so if you hit a cow it’s your fault and you face a huge fine and sometimes your insurance won’t pay for the damage. So beware if your out here.

In Tucson they have  Sonoran hot dogs that taste really good!  It originated in Mexico and now they are in Tucson and other parts of Southern AZ.  It is a bacon-wrapped hot dog tucked into in a warm bolillo roll, topped with pinto beans, pico de gallo, jalapeños, mustard and mayonnaise.  If your in the area this is a must.

Tucson has break rooms or rage rooms,  a room designed specifically for destruction! It is a safe place where you can gear up and destroy items without any worry about the mess. I hear you can also bring your own stuff to crash. The Breaking Room in Tucson is suppose to be good from what I’ve heard.  I’m sure that they are in other states too, just never heard of one before. I haven’t felt the need to use it, but you  never know.

Our first stop was in Deming, New Mexico at Dream Catcher RV Park.

We’ve been riding on interstate 40 & 44 which runs along side The Historical Route 66.

I’ve never seen the series, we were to young but I found out that It was completed in November 11, 1926,a nd  winds 2,448 miles from Chicago to L.A. Through most of the Western states. It was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. With its iconic landmarks, quirky roadside diners, retro neon signs, museums, shops and spectacular scenery. Finding out there is much to do on route 66 we’ll be coming back thru this way to see some of the attractions.

Our 2nd stop we stayed at Edgewood RV Park in New Mexico. Which was right off of Route 66.

It is Tuesday May 23rd, and we stayed two nights in Amarillo Texas right on route 66.

Amarillo is famous for all the Route 66 crazy tourist attractions. We aren’t doing really any sight seeing on our way back but we did have to see Cadillac Ranch since we were right there.

In 1974, local billionaire Stanley Marsh  teamed up with a San Francisco-based art collective named The Ant Farm to create Cadillac Ranch, which has now become one of the most famous roadside attractions in Texas, as well as along Route 66.

The group set about acquiring ten used Cadillacs, ranging in model years from 1948 to 1963. Built along with the tattered remains of historic Route 66, the cars represented the “Golden Age” of American automobiles. Most of the cars were purchased from junkyards and averaged about $200. The cars were then buried nose-down, facing west along the old highway. Those that could run were driven into the half-burial holes; the rest were hoisted in. In 1974 the project was completed, and in no time at all, visitors began to come from all over the world, leaving their mark on the ever-thickening graffiti-covered cars.

Right next to Cadillac Ranch is The 2nd Amendment Cowboy.

the Cowboy has Cadillacs right next to him, but you can’t paint these, darn.

Wednesday the 24th we stayed in Oklahoma at the Mustang RV

It was a very nice place and they even had Tornado Shelters just in case.

It’s now Thursday the 25th and we are now in Springfield, MO staying at a KOA.

We are here for two nights and there is a regional car show, I got to take a few pictures before a few of them left for the show.

I gotta say I like the red 1963Valiant the best.

Tomorrow the 27th we’ll be on the road going to Vandalia, Illinois

It has been a while since I have posted, Melissa of late has been doing that ,and a fine job she is doing.

As most everyone knows it was a very trying time here last December and this January, with Melissa being very, very ill. (thank God they have state of the art health care here)It was also a trying time for me. However as of this post she is back to her old self, although on a few extra meds right now, and some extra doctor visits.

With Melissa sick, we had to extend our stay here at Voyager,(in some ways it has been a very good thing)and had to cancel all of our plans of heading up into Utah, and Idaho for the spring and summer. So ,we have been just at Voyager for the last four months. We like it here and will be coming back in the fall.

So , what are our plans, we will be leaving here May 20 th and taking 10 or so days to travel back to our home base in Buffalo, NY. There we will reconnect with friends, and family. We also both have a lot of doctor appointments to catch up on too. We will stay there until about mid September, when we will head back down here to Voyager and stay from Oct 1 to March 31 of 2024, six months. Then hopefully we will take, April, May and part of June 2024 to travel up northeast Arizona, Utah, the western side of Colorado, and back down the east side of Arizona. Then we will decide if we want to go back to home base for that summer, or head back to Voyager. Even if we head to home base we will be back to Voyager for that winter. Then again we will decide if we want to stay long term, (as we do like it hear). So, that is our plan for right now, and We both know full well plans can change.

That’s the update for now.

On Saturday, April 29th with our friends Dawna & Scott.

Visitors traveling along I-10 between Tucson & Casa Grande in southern Arizona can’t miss the prominent 1,500-foot peak of Picacho Peak State Park. The state park has 3,747 acres for hiking, rock climbing, spring wildflowers, and camping. The peaks are visible from downtown Tucson, a distance of 45 miles. The summit rises to 3,374 feet above sea level.

Once inside the park we saw some Saguaro cactus. I think they are really neat and their flowers are Arizona’s state flower. The Saguaros are only found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert. The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches (or arms) as they age. These arms generally bend upward and can number over 25. Saguaros are covered with protective spines, white flowers in the late spring, and red fruit in summer. They are very slow growing, a10 year old plant might only be 1.5 inches tall. Saguaro can grow to be between 40-60 feet tall. When the rain is plentiful and the saguaro is fully hydrated it can weigh between 3200-4800 pounds.

Saguaro flowers are usually found near the tops of the stems and arms of the cactus. They will start to bloom May – July.  They are white in color about 3 inches (8cm) in diameter. They emit a strong smell, sort of like melons. During the night the flowers are pollinated by the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat. During the daytime the flowers are pollinated by bees and birds such as the white-winged dove.

After the flowers have been pollinated they mature into bright red fruit. When the fruit ripens it split open showing juicy red pulp. Each fruit can contain up to 2000 small black seeds. The fruit is a source of food for many desert animals.

Saguaro flowers bloom for less than 24 hours. They open at night and remain open through the next day. They only have that very short time to attract an animal to be pollinated.

I would like to try the fruit one of these days cause it has Vitamin C, helps rehydrate the body, Cure Rheumatism and is rich in fiber. You can eat the fresh fruit or turn it into juice, make a reserve, jam or syrup from it, the seeds can be dried and pulverized to use as flour or make porridge, you can also use it to make wine and use the seeds for oil. The saguaro plant can also be used for splints, furniture and fences. I have to apologize for my lengthy description of saguaros but now you know more than you ever wanted to about them. 😊

Visitor Center

We learned that the rocks of Picacho Peak have seen the passing of prehistoric humans, Spanish explorers, gold miners on their way West, Mormon soldiers, and, most notably, Civil War combatants. Once Dave knew that there there was a Civil War battle fought here he was excited to learn about it, and now I’m letting Dave write about it. . .

So, little did I know there was a civil war battle in Arizona, really a small skirmish, that lasted about two hours. Although if you were killed or wounded in this battle, it was the biggest battle of your life.

In Early 1862, confederate Texans crossed into Arizona, and came as far as Tucson, which became sort of a supply area and staging for troops. After the union found out about this they sent U. S. California cavalry troops, east to see what was up. In early April of 1862 the confederate troops had an outpost at Picacho pass set up. Picacho pass was a well known landmark at this time seen from a long way off to guide people in there travels. Union forces approached on April 15 and decided to attack. They split up and one force followed the dirt road, while the other force went around the small mountain range. When the union troopers surprised the confederate troops they were willing to surrender, however, someone, deliberately of by mistake fired a shot, and the skirmish was on. It lasted a few hours, with several killed and a good many wounded on both sides. The union withdrew and left the confederates in charge. However the next day thinking they were going to be attacked by a larger force, the confederates with drew all the way back to Tucson. It was not until six weeks later did the union advance on Tucson, but by that time the confederates had withdrawn back into Texas.

This little battle was the westernmost engagement of the entire civil war. Also after the war a few men from both sides came back to settle in the area, two of them settled about forty miles northwest of Picacho pass, and named there little town Phoenix.

Scott and Dawna were at Picacho Peak before and hiked on some of the trails. Dave & I decided we would come back another time and hike the trails. The park has 5 trails from easy to difficult.

We had lunch with Dawna and Scott at the park and then we headed to their site in Fiesta Grande RV Park Resort.

Later in the day, We had some of Dawna’s delicious chicken paprikash.

We had a good time at Picacho Peak and visiting with our friends.